Method of converting hydrocarbon compounds



Jan. 19, 1932. E.. w. BEARDSLEY METHOD OF CONVERTING HYDROCARBON COMPOUNDS Filed Oct. 6, 1928 ,Patented Jan. 19, 1932- UNITED STATES PATENT ori-ICE W. BEARDSLEY, F TEXAS CITY, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR TO PETROLEUM CONVERSION CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, YL, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE METHOD OF CONVERT'ING HYDROCARBON COMPOUNDS Application led October 6, 1928. Serial. No. 310,862.

The present invention relates to a method of convertin hydrocarbon oils into compounds of a diiferent and preferably predomf inantly lower molecular weight, as, for eX'- ample, gasoline from heavier petroleum oils. In general, the process isof the type disclosed 'in my copending application filed April 2, 1928, Serial No. 266,535 in which the conversion of the oil is brought about in the vapor phase, by the agency of a heat carrier and possibly their very heavy vapors, leave gas of the proper temperature and heat units. In such a process where large quantities of a neutral gas are physically mingled with the products of the conversion reaction, such gases tend, even after having been passed thru the usual condensing means,l to retain considerable quantities of the lighter vapors, and in view of the amount of the gases, the problem of recovering such lighter vapors is one of great importance. While it is readily possible to strip the gases by means of a suitable menstruum, in order to be successful the temperature must be fairly low, thus requiring the abstraction of large quantities of heat and its subsequent addition to the gas in order that it may be used in a fresh cycle in which it is reheated to its original high temperature.

It is accordingly anpobject of my present invention to provide for the abstraction and utilization ofthis heat in a novel and eflicient manner which will be fully understood by reference to ithe following detailed descrip` tion taken with the annexed drawing, showing more or less diagrammatically an illustrative embodiment thereof. L The steps in the conversion of the oil,

which per se is not part-of the present inven-v tion, are brieiiy as follows: Oil to be converted'which, if desired, may be suitably preheated in other parts of the system,

is introduced into a still 10 wherein it is Vaporized with preferably as little cracking as practicable, the vapor therefrom being fed through a pipe 11 into a reaction chamber 12. In this chamber vapors are converted by means of a carrier gas which has been heated in the regenerative heater or hot blastvstove 13 and introduced into said chamber 12 through pipe 14. The mixture of the cracked products.y and carrier gas issues from the Vchamber 12 thru a pipe 15, and is then congn veyed preferably to a scrubber 16 wherein the said products are intimately contacted with a suitable scrubbing medium e. g. a heavy oil. The purpose o'f'this step is principally twofold: tfirst, to remove the entrained carbon from 'the products, and secondly, a suitable portion of` thesensible heat therein. The cooled products now deprived of their carbon the scrubber 16 through a pipe 17 and therein conveyed to a condensing system symbolized by the condenser 18, and thence, through a understood but which have not been shownl since they form no part of the present invention. i

The carrier gas, together with vapors,

which are uncondensed, and which are to `be stripped therefrom is now passed by means of pipe 2l through a heat exchanger 22, wherein to further decrease the temperature of said gas, and is thence conducted through a condenser 23, and thence to a second accumulator 24, wherein further light distillate is recovered. The carrier gas now further lowered in temperature but still containing considerable quantities ofthe lighter vapors, is now passed by means of a pipe 25 to an absorber 26 wherein the residual vapors are to be recovered from said gas by means of a suitable menstruum e. g. a heavy oil which is introduced therein through a pipe 27. As indicated in the drawing, this menstruum has comparatively low temperature, i.- e.4 F.,

v and by virtue of such temperature and the in- "Ifhe now completely stripped gas leaves A the absorber 26 thru a passed thru the heat exc anger 22 wherein it lpipe 28, and is 'then cools the unstri'pped gas, as previously described. From heat exchanger 22 the gas is then passed through a heat exchanger 30 wherein it is reheated by means of the hot scrubbing medium, which preferably is passed in indirect thermal contact therewith. From heat exchanger 30 the gas is passed by means of pipe 31 back to the stove 13, there to be reheated and recycled. A blower 32,10- cated conveniently between the accumulator 20 and the heat exchanger 22 may be used to propel the gas through the system.

Returning to the absorber 26, the menstruum which has absorbed the light vapors leaves said absorber through pipe 33, and is preferably passed through a heat exchanger 34, wherein its temperature is raised somewhat, thence preferably to a second heat exchanger 35 in which latter apparatus it receives heat from the scrubbing medium,

which previously has traversed the heat exchanger 30. In this manner the menstruum has its temperature further raised. The

heated absorption menstruum is then passed ,25 through pipe 36 to a still 37 and rectifying column 37a wherein its contained vapors are released, passing from column 37a through pipe 38, and are recovered as distillate in a condenser 39 in which form theyare fed to a collector or accumulator 40.

Preferably also the accumulator 40 receives the distillate from the accumulator 20, and also from accumulator 24 by means of piping L46, 47. The hot menstruum issuing from the still"37 is now fed by means of pipe' 0 4l through the heat exchanger 34 previously mentioned, wherein it is cooled by the cold .menstruum directly from the absorber 26. In order to provide for further cooling the menstruum, it is passed thyrough a cooler` 42, and thence back to the absorber 26 through the pipe 27. l

The scrubbing medium, as willv be evident from the drawing, after having been suitably cooled in the various heat exchanges provided therefor, including those in the exchangers 30 and 35 which have been described, passes to a settling tank 44, wherein the contained carbon Iis removed or withdrawn with oil which is removed, and thence through pipe 45, back to the scrubber 16.

It will be understood that in the system shown various valves and pumps will be provided for the proper operation of the system but inasmuch as their use will be obvious to those skilled in the art, they have not been shown for the sake of simplifying the drawing. I

In order that the invention may be fully understood, I have in the drawing indicated temperatures at various points in the system, it being understood that these are illustrative only and may be varied widely.

It will be evident from the foregoing that I have provided an eective system of heat.E

distribution by means of which considerable economy Ais elected. lIt will be understood that various changes may be made in the system described in detail, and that certain features of the system of heat recovery described may be applied to other systems of recover-- ing residual vapors from gases contained 1n them. I therefore wish it understood that such changes may be made without vdeparting from the spirit of-rriy invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

Iy claim:

l. The process of converting hydrocarbon oils in which a carrier gas is used as the heating medium to bring about the conversion of hydrocarbon material admixed therewith,

` which consists in scrubbing the hot products from the reaction chamber with a suitable medium whereby heat is abstracted from said products and is added to said medium, passing the gas and residual vapor mixture through condensing means, thence to an absorber, passing an absorption menstruum through said 'absorber to strip the gas of the residual vapors, thermally contacting said scrubbing medium heated by said scrubbing step with the stripped carrier gas prior to its being heated to above the conversion temperature, then thermally contacting said heated medium with said menstruum after the latter has absorbed its quota of light vapors, whereby to fraise the temperature of said menstruum to facilitate the release of' the absorbed vapors therefrom.

2. In a system of converting hydrocarbon 100 oils in which a carrier gas is used as the heating medium to bring about conversion of the hydrocarbon material admixed therewith, in which the mixture of converted products and carrier gas is subjected to condensing condi- 105 tions to separate out the heavier oil fractions, and also a. major portion of thelight oilsy which are the desired products of the system, and in which the hot products of the conversion reaction are washed-with a liquid no scrubbing medium, the method of stripping the gas of residual vapors after said condensing'operation has been performed upon it comprising the steps of passing the gas through an absorber in which said gas is stripped of substantially all of said residua] vapors, passing the stripped gas into Heat exchange relation with said unstripped gas and then further heating said stripped gas by passing same into heat exchange relation with said scrubbing medium after the latter has been heated by its-contact with said products from the conversion reaction and utiliznature to this specification.

EDWIN W. BEARDSLEY. 

